Bath transfer chair

Abstract

A transfer apparatus for receiving the chair seat of a wheelchair and supporting the chair seat in the base of a washing enclosure. The transfer apparatus has a chair support member including a chair support track section that can be positioned in the washing enclosure base, a bridge portion with a bridge track section that is movably mounted to the chair support member. The transfer apparatus includes a lock system usable to secure the bridge portion in an in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair. A first lock inhibits rotational motion of the bridge portion. The first lock includes a retractable locking member that is biased to an extended, locking position. A second lock is usable to prevent longitudinal separation of the bridge portion and the wheelchair. The first and second lock can be automatically engaged when the bridge portion is moved to the in-use position.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A transfer apparatus comprising:
 a) a wheelchair comprising a chair seat translatable on a wheelchair track section of a wheelchair base, wherein the wheelchair track section extends in a longitudinal direction between a first section end and a second section end; 
 b) a chair support member positionable in a base of a washing enclosure, the chair support member having a chair support track section; 
 c) a bridge portion having a bridge track section that extends in a longitudinal direction between a third section end and a fourth section end, wherein the bridge portion is rotatably mounted to the chair support member for movement between a detached position and an in-use position, wherein in the in-use position the bridge portion is engaged with the wheelchair, the second section end is aligned with the third section end and the bridge track section is aligned with the chair support track section, whereby the chair seat is translatable from the wheelchair base along the bridge track section to the chair support track section when the bridge portion is in the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair; and 
 d) a first lock that is adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the first lock comprising a retractable locking member provided on the bridge portion and operable between an extended position and a retracted position, a receiving recess provided on the wheelchair and shaped to receive the retractable locking member, and a biasing member that biases the retractable locking member to the extended position,
 wherein 
 
 when the bridge portion is in the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair and the first lock is in the locked position, the retractable locking member is positioned in the extended position and positioned in the recess whereby the first lock inhibits rotational motion of the bridge portion to the detached position. 
 
     
     
       2. The transfer apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when the bridge portion is moved to the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair, the first lock is automatically adjusted to the locked position whereby the rotational motion of the bridge portion is automatically inhibited. 
     
     
       3. The transfer apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 a) when the retractable locking member is in the retracted position the retractable locking member is moved relative to the extended position in the longitudinal direction towards the fourth section end; and 
 b) as the bridge portion is moved from the detached position to the in-use position, the retractable locking member initially engages the wheelchair and is driven from the extended position towards the retracted position by engagement with the wheelchair, and subsequently upon the retractable locking member aligning with the receiving recess, the biasing member automatically extends the retractable locking member into the receiving recess. 
 
     
     
       4. The transfer apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 a) the retractable locking member is movably mounted to the bridge track section for movement in the longitudinal direction between the extended position and the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       5. The transfer apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a mounting unit that movably mounts the retractable locking member to the bridge track section, wherein the mounting unit comprises:
 a) a mounting slot that extends in the longitudinal direction; 
 b) a support member that is received within the mounting slot; 
 wherein 
 the mounting slot defines a longitudinal translation path for the support member, and the support member moves along the longitudinal translation path as the retractable locking member moves between the extended position and the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       6. The transfer apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a) the mounting unit further comprises a housing; 
 b) the slot is defined by the housing; 
 c) the support member is fixed to the bridge track section; and 
 d) the biasing member is enclosed within the housing and biased against the support member thereby biasing the retractable locking member to the extended position. 
 
     
     
       7. The transfer apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second lock, the second lock comprising a first engagement member provided on the wheelchair and a second engagement member provided on the bridge portion, wherein the first and second engagement members are lockingly engageable when the bridge portion is in the in-use position wherein, when the first and second engagement members are lockingly engaged, the first and second engagement members inhibit separation of the bridge portion and the wheelchair in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       8. The transfer apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein:
 a) the first engagement member comprises a slot; and 
 b) the second engagement member comprises a second locking member that is rotatably receivable in the slot. 
 
     
     
       9. The transfer apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a release member operable to adjust the lock from the locked position to the unlocked position, wherein the release member is manually operated. 
     
     
       10. The transfer apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 a) the release member is operable to transition the retractable locking member from the extended position to the retracted position; and 
 b) when the retractable locking member is in the retracted position, the release member is operable to move the bridge portion to the detached position. 
 
     
     
       11. The transfer apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a release member that is rotationally drivingly connected to the retractable locking member, the release member is rotatable between a locked position in which the retractable locking member is in the extended position and an unlocked position in which the retractable locking member is in the retracted position, wherein the release member is manually operated. 
     
     
       12. The transfer apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the release member comprises a handle usable to move the bridge portion between the detached position and the in-use position. 
     
     
       13. The transfer apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein
 a) the wheelchair track section comprises first and second parallel wheelchair track elements; 
 b) the bridge track section comprises first and second parallel bridge track elements, wherein the first parallel bridge track element aligns with the first parallel wheelchair track element and defines a first pair of combined track elements and the second parallel bridge track element aligns with the second parallel wheelchair track element and defines a second pair of combined track elements; 
 c) wherein the first lock comprises a first lock unit that is configured to secure the first pair of combined track elements, and 
 d) a second lock unit that is configured to secure the second pair of combined track elements. 
 
     
     
       14. The transfer apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a release member that is operable to concurrently unlock the first lock unit and the second lock unit. 
     
     
       15. A transfer apparatus for a chair seat of a wheelchair, the transfer apparatus comprising:
 a) a wheelchair comprising a chair seat translatable on a wheelchair track section of a wheelchair base, wherein the wheelchair track section extends in a longitudinal direction between a first section end and a second section end; 
 b) a chair support member positionable in a base of a washing enclosure, the chair support member having a chair support track section; 
 c) a bridge portion having a bridge track section that extends in a longitudinal direction between a third section end and a fourth section end, wherein the bridge portion is rotatably mounted to the chair support member for movement between a detached position and an in-use position, wherein in the in-use position the bridge portion is engaged with the wheelchair, the second section end is aligned with the third section end and the bridge track section is aligned with the chair support track section, whereby the chair seat is translatable from the wheelchair base along the bridge track section to the chair support track section when the bridge portion is in the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair; 
 d) a first lock that is adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position, the first lock inhibits rotational motion of the bridge portion to the detached position; and, 
 e) a second lock that is adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position, the second lock inhibits separation of the bridge portion and the wheelchair in the longitudinal direction. 
 
     
     
       16. The transfer apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein when the bridge portion is moved to the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair, the first lock is automatically adjusted to the locked position and the second lock is automatically adjusted to the locked position, whereby the bridge portion is secured to the wheelchair. 
     
     
       17. The transfer apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first lock comprises:
 a) a retractable locking member provided on the bridge portion and operable between an extended position and a retracted position; 
 b) a receiving recess provided on the wheelchair, wherein the receiving recess is shaped to receive the retractable locking member; and 
 wherein 
 when the bridge portion is in the in-use position and engaged with the wheelchair and the first lock is in the locked position, the retractable locking member is positioned in the extended position and positioned in the recess whereby the first lock inhibits rotational motion of the bridge portion to the detached position. 
 
     
     
       18. The transfer apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first lock comprises a biasing member that biases the retractable locking member to the extended position. 
     
     
       19. The transfer apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein:
 a) when the retractable locking member is in the retracted position the retractable locking member is moved relative to the extended position in the longitudinal direction towards the fourth section end; and 
 b) as the bridge portion is moved from the detached position to the in-use position, the retractable locking member initially engages the wheelchair and is driven from the extended position towards the retracted position by engagement with the wheelchair, and subsequently upon the retractable locking member aligning with the receiving recess, the biasing member automatically extends the retractable locking member into the receiving recess. 
 
     
     
       20. The transfer apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein
 a) the retractable locking member is movably mounted to the bridge track section for movement in the longitudinal direction between the extended position and the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       21. The transfer apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein:
 a) the second lock comprises a first engagement member provided on the wheelchair and a second engagement member provided on the bridge portion, wherein the first and second engagement members are lockingly engageable when the bridge portion is in the in-use position wherein, when the first and second engagement members are lockingly engaged, the first and second engagement members inhibit separation of the bridge portion and the wheelchair in the longitudinal direction. 
 
     
     
       22. The transfer apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein:
 a) the first engagement member comprises a slot; and 
 b) the second engagement member comprises a second locking member that is rotatably receivable in the slot. 
 
     
     
       23. The transfer apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a release member operable to adjust the first lock from the locked position to the unlocked position, wherein the release member is manually operated. 
     
     
       24. The transfer apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein:
 a) the release member is operable to transition the retractable locking member from the extended position to the retracted position; and 
 b) when the retractable locking member is in the retracted position, the release member is operable to move the bridge portion to the detached position. 
 
     
     
       25. The transfer apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a release member that is rotationally drivingly connected to the retractable locking member, the release member is rotatable between a locked position in which the retractable locking member is in the extended position and an unlocked position in which the retractable locking member is in the retracted position, wherein the release member is manually operated. 
     
     
       26. The transfer apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the release member comprises a handle usable to move the bridge portion between the detached position and the in-use position.